RM wins £37.5m Scottish schools deal

Networking everything

Education technology supplier RM has won a £37.5m, five-year contract with the Scottish executive to set up a national education intranet, dubbed the Scottish Schools Digital Network (SSDN).

The SSDN will be accessible not only to teachers, but to each of Scotland's 32 councils, 3,000 schools, and 750,000 pupils in Scotland. The network is designed to offer everyone better access to educational resources.

It will host educational content and other streaming media, provide online workspaces and a managed teaching and learning environment, the Scottish Executive says.

Peter Peacock, Scottish Executive Education Minister, said that investment in technology in schools was transforming learning and teaching. "I am determined to see that continue. This project is a hugely exciting development for Scottish education and one which sees Scotland leading the world."

Every pupil in Scotland is expected to be connected to the network within three years. ®